Swimming in your bathtub

Swimming in  your bathtub

When we are young we are allowed to bathe in a little baby sized tub. We frolic and play with our bath toys and throughly enjoy the experience. After a while, we grow up and go into yet a bigger tub in the bathroom. Here we continue our evolutionary journey of growth and bathing till even this too becomes too small for us and we graduate to showers or even bigger tubs. I am sure that as a baby being put into a big adult tub when used to the small baby sized one can be a scary experience and an overwhelming one, of this I am quite sure. Yet are we not essentially constraining ourselves by the size of our own bathtub?

Living free is a goal we are all hoping to achieve. Swimming in a larger sea, or a bigger ocean is the height of freedom that we can experience when going on vacations. We dive right in with full vigor, darting between the ocean waves and plunging our heads into the water trying to  glimpse the water's inhabitants as we hold our breath under water and take in an exhilarating inward breath as we launch out. This is an enjoyment certainly yet how silly would it be if an adult  tried doing the same in a baby bathtub. We grow out of our bath tubs yet sometimes we are too afraid to leave that bath tub. The borders of the tub end up defining our limits. We are trapped and not free, yet we are sometimes too afraid to change. We jump from one tub to another in our lives without even realizing it. We believe it to be the norm. We cannot fit into a smaller one so we simply get up and go into the bigger, more spacious tub. As children we are innocent and fearless to try new things and so engage in the transition without care or concern. Yet growing up for some reason with accumulated fears hinders our growth and limits the size of tub we are willing to try. On a beach vacation we briefly  experience the joy of freedom of no limits while getting into the water. We expand our physical bodies out into the far reaches of a seemingly unlimited sea and widen our bath tubs. Letting go of worries, troubles, concerns we allow these to be washed away like the soap in the tub by the forgiving waters of the seas.

Now if only we would embrace our lives with a  limitless mentality and live our lives always in a bigger bath tub of the universe. Our bath toys of creativity, encouragement, and abundance all accompany us on our journey in this life. Nothing wrong with holding onto your toys, they may come in handy one day as you frolic in your larger bath tub of life experiences at home, work or relationships.

How big is your bath tub?

A vacation or an escape from reality ?

A Vacation or an escape from reality

Hours planning your week of vacation spent looking for the best deals on hotels, flights, activities to do when you get there. Even when you reach your dream vacation you are engrossed in keeping the family together and on target with the usual tide of eating, sleeping, dressing etc. You try to enjoy the minutes of the vacation, feeling that "this is it, you have reached nirvana" yet all the while your mind is somewhere else. The curiosity burns with questions of work related matters, pending home related chores, the upcoming tax year and so on. Perhaps you are brave enough to turn on your smart phone and check a few emails from work and text messages to ensure your returning work pile is not as high when you get back to the office. Before you know it, you are packed and hustling and bustling the family back to home and the vacation is over and you are right back into your"comfort zone" with a sigh " geez I wish I had a vacation !!"

We all  need a break from the daily grind, of this there is no doubt. No one is a machine that can continuously keep working and never stop, or at least at some point they will burn out eventually. We want to work so that we can have a vacation or do we want a vacation so that we can keep working.  We clearly do not want to be remembered as the person who would say " I wish I could do more work !!" I have thought about this problem on many a post vacation occasion as I realize I too fall into this rut. Yet is there is a solution to this dilemma? The answer lies in first identifying the question. What do we seek : a vacation or an escape from reality. Both are very different and both cost different amounts. A vacation requires geography and usually financial funds. The latter requires a shift in perspective, a willing heart, a disciplined mind and no money, yet harder to achieve. 

The escape from reality can occur daily and even though relatively planned into your schedule does not require sanctioned time off. By harnessing your mind and meditating on letting go of worries, tensions, fears and stresses, you end up quite recharged and rejuvenated. In fact sometimes even more refreshed than when you go for a vacation.  You are fulfilling the same intention which is getting rest from your daily ablutions in the home and work environments. I would gently suggest that perhaps the use of the meditation avenue might in fact have better health effects both physical and mental. By constantly being refreshed daily, you might even be more productive at work and at home, since you are perpetually energized as if you were taking daily mini vacations.  

The escape from reality is not delusional nor is it illusional. It is simply just that, an escape. You are going to have to come back, but what state do you plan to be in when you do, grumpy or relaxed? Try incorporating a daily meditative routine into your life. Do not set yourself up for failure by fooling yourself and thinking that you can do a half hour or longer on the first, second or even third attempt. Meditate with the use of your breathing in and out. Few minutes will eventually build into  30 minutes, and gradually increase from there. The more you can do, the more rejuvenated you will become. Perhaps spending some time learning these techniques from a teacher, or a meditation school or class, or audio trainers might help. You could use some of your precious vacation days towards this endeavor, since it does pay dividend in the end game. You might be in so much bliss on your escape from reality you will need to escape back to reality !! Are you still dreaming of a vacation or you spending your vacation dreaming? 

Escape while you can....Reality is calling

Etc.

Etc. 

At times I find my self in conversation with friends, usually by  starting off with full gusto but soon the sentence structure changes and I abbreviate the sentence and close it by saying "etc" Either due to impatience in completing the conversation and running off to tasks to be completed or due to a sudden change or lapse of awareness of the moment,the "etc" blurbs out. How much detail of the conversation is missed during the insertion of the word etcetera ?

The etcetera comes from Latin to mean "and other things" or "and so forth." From the Greek it literally translates to "and the other things." Lost in translation is my understanding of the term when you do not complete communicating the thoughts of your sentence and simply dismiss the remaining thought into "and other things." You quickly dissolve what you might have imparted as an interesting idea or an explanation toward a favorable concept into nothingness. Now imagine if you were narrating to a friend about their good qualities " you are intelligent, smart, kind etc etc" What you have just done is lump all good qualities into one word, namely etc, and diminished the praise into nothing. You might  have completed the sentence and said " you are generous, fun loving and polite" but that is lost in translation and that friend will never know how you truly felt. 

Another example is you informing someone that you cannot meet them due to the numerous time sensitive items to be done in the day. The conversation goes something like this "I really cannot meet you today because I have to get the car fixed, pay the bills, etc etc" To the person hearing this conversation is clearly appears that you are just blowing them off. Yet if completed the conversation may have been along the lines of " I have to also pick up my son from school, and get my daughter to dance practice and visit the sick relative in the hospital." Now these are all valid legitimate reasons for not meeting due the nature of complex coordination and organization of the commitments, yet the word etc simply finished the sentence abruptly and thereby changing the style of the conversation to one of being flippant. 

All too often we place this word etcetera into our subconscious and it propagates into our conscious mind and so we become less and less aware of the moment, as we not only abbreviate our speech but also our own personal thoughts pre speech. By doing so we diminish our experiences. An example. I am rushing around doing numerous activities like grocery shopping, cutting the grass, filling gas etc etc. I do all these chores "and other things" yet I am forgetting about living my life by being present in the moment and so performing fruitful activities such as playing a game of ball with your child who much needs your attention , or saying a nice thing to a perfect stranger, or helping a friend in their time of need. The etcetera might expand on your good personal qualities of mercy, forgiveness, kindness, love, gratitude or abundance. Yet when you do not spell out your conversation you miss something. When you do not be aware of your good qualities and lump them together, you forget to act according to those modes of nature. 

On the other hand, when you dwell on negative surroundings such as the bad state of economy, finances, healthcare, or a difficult time in a relationship "etc etc" then this in fact expands and the negativity spreads into every aspect of your life as the universe tries to rationally expand that word etcetera not knowing that you are tagging a non positive connotation to it. Hence the etc spreads to your daily routine in that you are always late, your  work in that you cannot get ahead, your personal life in that you are constantly having disputes, just to name a few examples. I would propose that you slow down and finish the thought in your head to completion. Following this you speak clearly and voice out your thoughts. Subsequently, you follow through with simple and honest actions. No misunderstandings, since nothing lost  in translation. No problems in conversations since the ideas and dialogue are clearly spelled out. No confusions as the actions are transparent.  During your day count the number of times you use the word etcetera and then think what words would you have used instead of that word to complete that thought, word or action and see if circumstances would have been different. 

Enjoy your life with fun, happiness, peace of mind, joy etc etc etc etc !!!!

Lost luggage

Lost Luggage

Nothing is worse than arriving after a long flight and going to the baggage arrival carousel and waiting for your luggage to circulate to you, when after the conveyor belt has stopped, you realize your luggage has been lost. A whole set of negative emotions rise up and like a Tsunami overwhelm you. Anger is the final response that ends up being wielded as a mighty sword against anyone and everyone that the mind conjures up, eg airlines, ground staff, baggage handlers etc. Yet why are we so upset. Is it because we feel cheated, do we express emotions at airline incompetence, or are do we simply feel that our possessions have been stolen?

I believe that we have put so much value on the contents of the baggage that we hold on to it so tight that when lost we feel that part of ourselves is lost too. Nobody wants to ever intentionally lose their bags or possessions but the same reaction occurs when airport security happens to open a locked suitcase and reseal it up with a sticker announcing that they have touched your possessions. We feel at some level violated. No one is going to be happy that their suitcase has been jimmied open by some total stranger and thanks to that encounter the flight was a safer one, since most passengers will not violate civil law and jeopardize or inconvenience their existing travel  plans. So we hold onto the contents so tightly that it hurts to let go. Now imagine the same with past negative experiences, perhaps a bad martial issue, a terrible childhood encounter, or an angry meeting, or a betrayal. You hold on to these emotional issues so tightly that you in fact own them. You lock them away into a bag within your soul and you carry this around with you all day and night long. No matter how heavy the luggage you bear the burden even if it exceeds the weight limit. Now unexpectedly parting with it may make you feel uncomfortable, kind of like losing the physical baggage at the airport.

Letting go of the contents of your mind and heart willingly unloads your soul's baggage. Facing your fears, confronting those past experiences with courage, strength and resolve ensures that the past history of the cumulative encounters stay in the past and do not hinder your future. Forgive and forget brings peace and calmness to the soul and lightens the heart. No one can then violate the empty baggage at your own personal security check. Look into your soul and see what inside you is on the prohibited  travel baggage list. So the next time you travel, travel light. No heavy backpack of unhappy memories. Sometimes the carousel will bring back luggage on its circuitous route, just as life does the same with various unresolved issues from past negative days, bringing it back to your doorstep when you least expect it. Simply look at the tag on the baggage, identify the experience, acknowledge it for what it was and let it go and say " Thank you but this isn't my bag." It is very easy to blame someone for your inconvenience, yet it is you who are to blame for lost luggage. Why did you pack so much and exceed the weight limit?

Letting go of the past ills makes way for the futures' abundance, happiness and goodness to take hold. When the contents are disowned, the bag gets lighter and smaller. Soon you do not even need to carry a bag on the trip of life. This takes time and effort to truly let go and be free, yet it can be done. Freedom to travel has always been my passion and a goal to pursue. Freedom to travel light is a dream that most of us have yet to experience.So the next time you find yourself at the baggage claim counter, and the staff person asks "Lost Luggage?"  Your reply in a calm, and relaxed tone could be " Probably did not need all that stuff anyway."

Lost your luggage? Maybe the Universe will reimburse you for it.